


Third Star

by rockinviolinist



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Cancer, M/M, Some Humor, Tragedy, based of the movie "Third Star", friendship/adventure, major character death at the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-17 07:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1378207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockinviolinist/pseuds/rockinviolinist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A year and a half ago, Haru was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This is his final journey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

           The usually quiet house was full of life tonight. People were laughing, talking, eating and drinking. Haru sat in the corner with a small smile on his face, holding his cane across his lap. Today was his twentieth birthday.

            He wouldn’t live to see twenty-one.

            He had been diagnosed a year and a half ago. Cancer. Terminal. So sorry, nothing we can do. Life expectancy about twenty months. We’ll do our best to make you comfortable.

            He had to stop swimming competitively. He slowly got weaker, relying more and more on morphine. The only reason he was still here was Makoto.

            Makoto had been there since the day he was diagnosed. He bought Haru his ocean-blue cane when walking had become too painful. He would stay in the pool with Haru for hours, helping him swim or just float on the surface. He made sure Haru took his medication and ate, and always kept an extra bottle of morphine with him. Just in case.

            Right now, Makoto was sitting with Rei and Nagisa. Nagisa was stuffing his face with food while Rei and Makoto talked casually. After Makoto and Haru had graduated they tried to keep in touch with the younger students, but it was hard, especially after the diagnosis. They took this party as a chance to catch up.

            Rei was in a serious relationship with a girl he met at university. He was considering asking her to marry him soon. He had also been offered a very good job at a law firm. If he took it, he would be living in Tokyo.

            Nagisa had been a little more carefree after graduation; he took the year off and volunteered all over the country, traveling and meeting new people. He was planning on going to university the following year.

            All their plans didn’t start until the following year. Until Haru was gone.

            Haru was grateful. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted some semblance of normality. Like the world wasn’t going to keep moving without him.

            He stood up, leaning heavily on his left side, and walked to the sliding back door. With some difficulty, he opened it and walked outside, sitting down heavily in the grass. It was beautiful outside; summer was just turning into autumn, and a pleasant breeze swept through his hair. He had decided against chemo, which would have added a few months to his life, because of the cost to his parents, so the raven hair on his head was his own. He took pride in that. It seemed to be the only thing he still had control over. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. He was going to miss that scent.

            He felt the grass rustle beside him, and looked over to see vibrant red eyes contemplating him intently.

            “Didn’t think you were gonna make it,” Haru said, smirking.

            “Come on, everyone else was just early,” Rin shot back. They laughed and leaned back in the grass, hands behind their heads, elbows touching.

            Rin had been accepted into the Japanese Olympic swim team right after graduation, following in his father’s footsteps. He was in line to be one of the top swimmers in the country. They hadn’t seen him in person since then.

            It felt strange lying next to his former rival. There was no more competitive air hanging around them, but there was still tension. And guilt. Rin hadn’t come to see Haru ever since he was diagnosed.

            Haru breathed deeply, trying to settle his stomach. He had spent a lot of time thinking about death. What else did he have to do? He had come to accept his reality; he was going to die, and he didn’t want any regrets. That’s why he gathered everyone here. He was going to say goodbye to everyone, and he and his closest friends were going to his favorite place in the world, Wakasa Bay.

            This was the only way he would have no regrets. Not that he could say the same for his friends and family; the sickness may be his, but the tragedy was theirs.

 

oOo

 

            The boys packed all of their supplies into Haru’s parent’s old van, the one they had used when they went camping. Haru hugged his parents, who had come from Tokyo to help take care of him. He hugged Kou, now a woman, but still smiling and energetic. She had tears in her eyes.

            “You guys have fun, ok?” she said shakily, wiping away tears. “You better bring me a souvenir.”

            “Only the best,” Rin said, rubbing his sister’s head and kissing her. Makoto watched from the van, and jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Haru’s mother and father. They looked so tired. Haru’s mother gripped his arm.

            “Makoto,” she whispered, “bring him back safely.”

            “Of course, Mrs. Nanase.” She gripped him harder.

            “Promise me. Promise me!” She shouted.

            “I – I promise!” he exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes. Haru had gotten much of his personality from his mother; she, too, was calm and buried her feelings. To have her lose control was completely out of the ordinary. She seemed to realize that she had scared him, and loosened her grip.

            “I’m sorry, Makoto, I just…” she choked, hand covering her mouth. “I lost so much time with him. I don’t want to lose more.” Makoto looked at her with pity, his green eyes concerned. He wrapped his arms around her, and Haru’s father stood by, not saying a word.

            “I know,” he whispered into her shoulder.

            Soon, everything was piled into the van. Among their supplies were some oddities; Nagisa had brought a young tree with him, its roots still in a brown bag full of soil. He wanted to plant it in Wakasa Bay. He squished himself and the tree into the middle seat in the back, the top of his hand rustling the bottom leaves.

            Also with them, folded up in the back, was a special cart for Haru. They all knew he wouldn’t be able to walk the entire trip, but Haru refused to use it until he absolutely had to.

            After their final goodbyes and have funs, they piled in. Rei was driving since he knew the fastest way there. Rin was next to him, and Makoto, Nagisa and Haru were in the back seats, and they were off. Haru stuck his head out the window, waving at his family and friends as they slowly became specks in the distance until they disappeared completely. He sat back in the van, only to find a video camera right in his face.

            “What the hell, Nagisa!” he yelled, scooting away from the camera. Nagisa laughed hysterically.

            “This is the trip of a lifetime!” Nagisa exclaimed. “We’ve gotta document every second!” He turned to Makoto, putting the camera right up to his nose. “Right, Mako-chan?”

            Makoto laughed, giving Nagisa a playful shove. “Sure, Nagisa. Whatever you want.”

            Their first day on the road was a blast for all. They laughed, talked and ate until the sun started to lower in the sky. Rei pulled over near a small forest and they all climbed out and set up camp. Soon the campfire was set up and the smell of roasting sausages filled the air. The boys ate ravenously, except for Haru. He found that the drugs took away his appetite.

            “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow, Rei-chan?” Nagisa asked, ripping off a piece of sausage and chewing noisily. Rei adjusted his glasses on his nose and whipped out a map from his pocket, unfolding it so everyone could see.

            “Well, we’re about right here,” he said, pointing to a spot on the map far away from the nearest city, “and we’ll drive about four more hours tomorrow until we get _here,_ and then we begin our hike to the ferry. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll reach the ferry the day after tomorrow.” Nagisa cheered loudly and jumped up from his seat in front of the fire, waving his burned marshmallow around his head.

            “We’re gonna get to Wakasa bay in no time! It’s gonna be amazing! Come on, Haru-chan, get excited!” he yelled, running over to Haru and gently tugging on his arm. “We used to have a blast there in elementary school, remember?”

            Haru did remember. He remember the hours he spent floating in the clear water, throwing frisbees on the beach and late nights talking around the campfire. It was a place where they were all at peace; Makoto’s fear was forgotten and Rin was still himself, not the obsessed-with-winning stranger that returned from Australia all those years ago. It was the one place where he felt like he could be truly happy and not care who sees. He could be free.

            He allowed Nagisa to slowly lift him to his feet, wrapping an arm around the blonde’s shoulders. Haru hadn’t realized how much he’d grown. He was rivaling Makoto in height. Nagisa started to sing loudly, slowly helping Haru move as he danced around the fire. Soon all five boys were dancing around and yelling like maniacs, throwing wood into the fire and fanning it so it grew bigger and bigger, watching as the embers rose into the air and dissolved into the starry sky.

oOo

            The boys rose with the sun the next morning and tiredly packed up camp. Well, Makoto, Rin, Nagisa and Rei packed up. Haru would only get in the way. Less than five hours later, Rei was pulling the van into an abandoned lot overgrown with weeds. Flowers poked out of the cracks in the asphalt.

            “Alright, everyone out!” Rei yelled. The tired boys grumbled good-naturedly as the got out of the van and grabbed all their supplies. Makoto pulled his backpack on and walked up behind Haru.

            “You feeling ok, Haru-chan?” he whispered. Haru nodded, rolling his eyes. Makoto was constantly worrying about him. Honestly, Haru kind of liked it, but he would _never_ let Makoto know that, so he just started to limp away. He heard Makoto sigh loudly behind him and footsteps quickly catching up with him.

            “Are you sure about this? You can use the cart, I don’t want you to exhaust yourself,” Makoto said. “It’s gonna be a long walk.”

            They hadn’t even started the walk yet and Haru was already being coddled. “I already told you,” Haru said. “I want to walk as far as I can. Then I’ll use the cart.” He looked into Makoto’s face, his worried green eyes, and softened his tone. He knew Makoto meant well.

            “Please, Makoto. I just want things to be normal for just a little longer.” Makoto’s eyes widened, and he looked down.

            “I’m sorry, Haru,” he said quietly. “I just worry, you know?”

            “I know.”

            “Oh my god, you guys are like a married couple!” Nagisa yelled, and Makoto and Haru jumped in shock. Nagisa laughed maniacally, jumping in between them. “Stop talking all secretively and let’s go!” He yelled, letting go of them and running ahead. Rin came up beside them, pushing Haru’s cart, which was filled with most of their supplies.

            “He’s become even more insane since I last saw him,” Rin remarked. Makoto and Haru looked at each other and laughed. He had no idea.

            They began their hike through the forest, and it was beautiful; the light shone through the trees in beams like spotlights, and everything was so green and moving and _alive_. Haru could feel it in the air around him. He hadn’t had this much energy in months.

            Makoto was walking close to him, constantly looking over at his face for any sign of pain, morphine in reach. But Haru’s face was full of a bliss that it hadn’t been since his diagnosis. Makoto finally let himself relax and enjoy the beauty around him.

            A couple hours later and they had reached the edge of the forest and went into an open plain. The sun beat down on them, but a breeze made the walk across rather pleasant. The group had been talking almost nonstop since the beginning of their hike, but now all were quiet. It was a comfortable silence, until it was broken by Rin.

            “What the hell is that?” he asked, pointing to the end of the plain. They walked toward it and at the bottom of a slight hill was a small tavern. They could hear loud music and singing emanating from it. Nagisa tugged on Rei’s arm.

            “Let’s go check it out, Rei-chan!”

            “No, Nagisa, we’re underage, we can’t possibly-”

            “Who cares? We’re on the trip of a lifetime right now, nobody’ll know! Besides, we look older than we are,” he reasoned. Rei was about to argue again when a yelp from behind him stopped him. He turned to see Haru limping quickly, already halfway down the hill, and Makoto stumbling after him.

            “Wait, Haru! What are you doing?”

            Haru didn’t answer, even when the rest of the group had caught up with him. An exasperated Makoto put his hand on Haru’s shoulder.

            “Haru, I don’t think this is a good idea. All those people are drunk, I don’t know what they’ll do…”

            “I don’t care,” Haru spit back, shrugging off Makoto’s hand. “I’m going in.”

            And that was it. Once Haru set his mind set on something, there was no stopping him.

 

oOo

           

           The walk to the tavern was further than Haru had originally thought, and the group had to stop halfway so Makoto and Rin could set up the cart. Soon, Haru was secured and they set off again. He could feel the leaves of Nagisa’s tree tickling his legs from its position underneath the cart.

            It was close to evening by the time they made it, pushing the cart through the large stone entrance. It looked as though a party was being hosted outside, but it was a strange one; people were wearing a mix of traditional Japanese garb and more modern clothes, with variations of kpop and western music playing in the background. One thing was clear, though; most of them were hammered.

            Nagisa squealed in delight at the strange mix in front of him, grabbing Rei by the sleeve and dragging him towards the crowd. He started a dance that would’ve looked strange if anybody else had tried it, and Rei awkwardly shuffled his feet next to him.

            Rin went up to the bar to grab a drink, leaving Makoto and Haru alone on the edge of the crowd. Makoto sat down at the nearest table, swiping a hand across his forehead. He looked exhausted. Not that he would ever complain, Haru thought to himself.

            “So, Haru, what do you want to do?” Makoto asked. Haru had been so adamant about coming here, but all he had done since arriving was sit and stare. He didn’t answer, not that Makoto had expected him to.

            A few quiet minutes passed before a loud yell from the middle of the crowd made them turn their heads. A fight had broken out in the crowd, and it looked like Rei and Nagisa were being dragged into it.

            Nagisa had the biggest smile on his face as he dove into the crowd, looking like he was trying to piggy-back ride on someone with a fist raised toward another man, and Rei had a look of utmost terror as he tried to pry the blonde off.

            Rin was walking back with the drinks when he spotted the commotion. He heard a spluttered, “Rin-san, h-help!” from Rei and immediately put the drinks down, a smile on his face and gleam in his eyes as he lunged into the crowd.

            Haru just watched the chaos with a blank face, even as Makoto panicked beside him. But his stoic exterior betrayed the fire he felt surging through his veins.

            He looked up and saw a white feather floating through the air toward him. With a speed he didn’t know he was still capable of, he snatched it out of the air with bony fingers and brought it down to his face. It was a down feather of some kind of sea bird, and he could smell the faint scent of sea salt on the tip. He rubbing it between his palms before pocketing it and turning to Makoto.

            “Push me over there.”

            “What?” Makoto asked, looking at Haru as if he had gone insane.

            “You heard me,” Haru answered, picking up his cane. “I want to do something crazy.”

            “Haru…”

            “Remember how I wanted to turn twenty, so I could be ordinary?” Makoto nodded slowly. “I changed my mind. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life being ordinary.” He looked back at Makoto, who had tears in his eyes. “Don’t cry, Makoto.”

            “Sorry,” Makoto whispered, rubbing his eyes quickly. He walked behind the cart and gripped the handlebars tightly, head hung low. “I just never thought you were ordinary, Haru.”

            “Let’s be crazy for a little bit longer, ok, Makoto?” Haru said quietly, reaching back and grabbing Makoto’s hand. He felt a squeeze in return. He then turned his attention back to the crowd in front of them, where the fight was still going on. He raised his cane in front of him, like a sword.

            “Charge!” he yelled. He continued yelling as Makoto pushed him as fast as he could toward the crowd, effectively splitting it in half. Soon, Haru was enveloped by the chaos around him, blindly swinging his cane. The adrenaline pumping through him was exhilarating. He hadn’t felt this way in so long.

            His euphoria was cut short when a fist came out of nowhere, smashing into his jawline and knocking over his cart. He fell along with it, smashing his shoulder into the ground, hard.

            “STOP!”

            “Haru-chan!”

            “Get the fuck off him, bastard!”

            Haru felt a pair of strong hands lift him off the ground and set him back into his cart. His vision was a little blurry, but he could see Makoto next to him, his worried face taking up most of his vision, and Rin standing in front of them both like a protective guard dog. A big man from the crowd tried running past him to get at Haru, but Rin tackled him to the ground.

            “I said stop! You can’t hit him,” Rin shouted, his voice cracking. “You can’t hit him, he’s got cancer.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year and a half ago, Haru was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This is his final journey.

The group got Haru out of the tavern as quickly as they could. Nobody was attacking him at the moment, but they didn't want to take any chances.

Makoto had pushed Haru far into the field before stopping to do a thorough inspection. There was a bruise forming along his jaw and his shoulder, but Haru brushed him off before he could do anything about it.

"It's not a big deal, Makoto. You know I just bruise more easily now," Haru murmured.

Makoto sighed. "I know, Haru, but you can't just-", he tried, but Rin interrupted before he could finish.

"Well, while you guys fuss over each other, I'm gonna go take a leak," Rin announced to the group, and turned his back before anyone could respond. He didn't want them to see his face.

He was so pissed he could barely walk straight, and he was sure his flushed face showed that. He just needed to get away for a bit and splash some water on his face and he would be fine.

He couldn't believe what absolute _idiots_ those people were. For fuck's sake, if Haru being in a wheelchair and holding a cane along with his emaciated appearance didn't tip them off that maybe they shouldn't try to beat the shit out of him then they deserved every fucking broken nose and black eye they got.

He finally reached the restroom, which was empty except for one person, who looked like he couldn't be older than twelve. He was wearing a pair of torn-up jeans and a muddy shirt that used to be white. What made Rin double-take was the pair of grimy, ripped wire angel wings on his back.

Raising his eyebrows slightly, Rin walked to the sink, slipping off his watch before turning on the water and testing the temperature. The kid didn't say anything to him, and Rin was grateful. He splashed water onto his face a couple times before turning to grab a paper towel and dry off. He then turned back to the sink to grab his watch, but it wasn't there.

Neither was the kid.

"Fuck," he growled.

Heart pumping, he ran out of the bathroom and towards the tavern. Behind it, he could see a pair a wings disappearing. He ran towards it and found the kid sitting on a rock in front of a fast-flowing river. Rin stopped in front of him, panting slightly.

"Ok kid," he gasped, straightening, "I'm gonna need that back. Now," he said, baring his teeth menacingly.

The kid cocked his head at him. "Or what?"

"I'll find your parents," Rin said, not knowing what else to say. The kid just laughed, making Rin's skin crawl.

"My parents don't give a damn about what I'm doing," he said. Rin scowled even more.

"Then I'll just have to take it."

"Go ahead. If you touch me, I'll just tell everyone you touched my cock."

Rin nearly gagged. Was this kid for real? "What the fuck is wrong with you? Just give me the fucking watch back!"

Again the kid cocked his head, the way a dog would when it's curious. "Why do you want it back so badly?"

"Cause it's my goddamn watch."

"I don't think so. Who gave it to you? Was it a girlfriend? A _boyfriend_?" The kid sneered. Rin wanted to rip his fucking wings off.

Instead, he curled his fists together, nails digging into his skin. "It was my _father's._ He's _dead,_ and that's all I really have left of him. So if you would please give it back, _now._ " He hoped he sounded menacing enough to finally scare the kid into giving his shit back.

But the kid just smiled even wider at this information. Then he tilted his head and scratched his chin mockingly. "Oh, that's a sad story. I'm sorry."

"Give it back and we'll call it even."

A smile spread across the kid's pudgy face, and with a smooth flick of his wrist the watch sailed through the air behind him, making a small splash in the river.

"What the _fuck?!"_ Rin practically screamed. He could feel his face heating up again, and he was surprised that it wasn't melting everything in sight.

The kid only laughed, a putrid sound, and began to run away. Rin made to run after him, but the kid stopped to wave his finger patronizingly.

"Ah ah ah, remember what I said," he said, as if Rin were a child. "Touch me at all, and I'll tell everyone you touched my cock." And he continued to run, his cheap wings flapping as Rin stood and watched, helpless.

When the kid was out of sight, he picked up the biggest rock he could find, hurling it at the river and screaming.

Nobody dared to ask what had happened when he returned.

* * *

Barely two hours of walking later, the group stood at the top of a very steep, very long drop. The trail they were walking on had ended, and the only way they could find out of the forest without dragging the cart through dense foliage was in front of them.

"This is a problem I had not planned for," Rei said after a few moments of silence.

Rin snorted in distaste. "No shit." Rei shot him an annoyed look before glancing around at his friend's crestfallen faces. Determination surged through his chest.

"But that doesn't mean we can't improvise!" he shouted suddenly, running to the back of the cart and rummaging through one of the bags, finally emerging with a decent length of rope.

"You've got to be kidding me," Haru groaned. Nagisa, who moments earlier had looked like the world was ending, bounded up to Haru, taking his hand and waving it around.

"Come on, Haru-chan! Rei's a genius, it'll be fine! And this is supposed to be an adventure, isn't it?" he bubbled. "What's an adventure without some danger thrown in?"

"Um, sane?" Makoto threw in. But he silently gave in. There was no way they were turning back, so what other choice did they have?

"Alright, everyone!" Rei yelled, walking back toward the group from where he had secured the rope around a tree. "Here's the plan. I'll lower myself down first, then you guys can pull the rope back up. I made a make-shift pulley system so that after Nagisa-kun lowers himself down, it'll be easier for Rin-san to bring the cart down with him."

"Of course," Rin groaned.

"Then Makoto-sempai will wrap the rope around himself and Haruka-sempai and the rest of us will help lower them down," he finished, placing his hands on his hips.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Makoto asked, glancing worriedly at Haru. Rei adjusted his glasses.

"Of course! I would never put any of you in danger!"

Makoto still didn't look convinced, and Rin sighed. "Just get it over with already, Rei."

It took less than a minute for Rei to lower himself to the bottom of the slope. It was a bit steeper than he'd thought, but decided against saying anything. He didn't want to scare the other guys out of coming down.

"Alright, Nagisa! Pull the rope up!" he yelled. Soon Nagisa was almost running down the slope, far to fast to stop before hitting the ground, but Rei caught him before he did. Before Rei could reprimand him, Nagisa stood up and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"I knew Rei-chan would catch me," he said happily.

Getting Rin down the slope with the cart was a bit more difficult, but he was soon at the bottom without to much fuss. The trio then waited patiently at the bottom for Haru and Makoto.

"You ready, Haru-chan?" Makoto asked, smiling, even though Haru could see the worry in his eyes.

"I'll be fine, Makoto," Haru sighed, but felt his stomach clench in guilt when Makoto's face fell just a little bit. "I know you won't let me fall," he added. His stomach unclenched a little when Makoto's smile again.

The two tied the rope around themselves securely, Haru with his back against Makoto's front.

"We're ready!" Makoto called down. The group nodded and grabbed onto the rope hanging down. This was where Rei's pulley system was really being tested.

Taking a deep breath, Makoto carefully placed a foot on the slope. It was made of smooth concrete, so there was nowhere to place his foot. He hoped his shoes had enough traction.

He could feel a slight pull on the other end of the rope, which meant the group was trying to keep them steady, and it seemed to be working. Makoto lowered them down a few more steps, making sure Haru was comfortable after each one.

They were almost halfway down when Makoto's foot slipped. He could hear yelling from the bottom as his friends scrambled to steady the rope, but he felt himself being yanked sideways.

"Guys, stop! I can't-" Makoto yelled, but was stopped abruptly when a frantic yank made him completely lose his footing, slamming him and Haru sideways into the slope. A pained scream ripped its way out of Haru's throat, and Makoto swore that his own heart stopped.

The rest of the way down, Makoto's vision was a blur of falling and stopping, and the only sound was screams and groans coming from the thin body in his arms.

Finally, everyone found themselves in a pile at the bottom of the slope, breathing heavily. As soon as he regained his wits, Makoto grabbed Haru's medicine bag off the cart and pulled out a bottle of morphine, uncapping it and holding it up to Haru's mouth.

Haru's eyes were brimming with tears and he sipped at the brown bottle. When he was done, he coughed and wiped his face.

Minutes passed before anyone spoke. Surprisingly, it was Haru that broke the silence.

"Let's go. Makoto, get off me."

"Wha-ah, sorry!" Makoto yelped, scrambling to untie them before helping Haru stand up. They worked on getting Haru back into his cart, and soon they were off, just a little bit more sore than they were when they began.

Makoto watched Rei from behind as he pushed Haru. His shoulders were slumped and his head was hanging low as he plodded along, and Makoto knew that he felt guilty that his plan didn't work out as he had hoped. The next time they stopped for a break, Makoto went up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Rei, you did well," he murmured, causing him to whip his head around in shock. "Thank you."

"I hurt Haruka-sempai," Rei said under his breath.

"Haru's fine," Makoto lied. "He's grateful to you, too. He really wants you to see Wakasa Bay." Well, at least that was the truth. Rei lifted his head.

"He does?"

"Well, yeah," Makoto responded, smiling. "You weren't with us when we were there as kids. I'm sure he wants to have memories of you there with us."

"Makoto's right," Haru interjected softly from where he had been pretending to sleep in his cart.

"Haruka-sempai…" Rei said, his face lighting up.

"C'mon guys, break's over!" Nagisa shouted, running up to Rei and grabbing his arm. "It's almost sunset, we gotta find somewhere to set up camp!"

The boys all looked at the horizon, and sure enough, the sun was starting to sink, casting hues of pink and orange across the sky.

"It's only another kilometer to the ocean," Rei said. "It's a drop off, though, so we can't actually go on the beach." He glanced at Haru. "But at least we'll be close."

"Let's go," Haru ordered.

* * *

They had camp set up and a fire going just as the sun disappeared into the ocean. The smell of roasting meat once again filled the air, along with burnt marshmallows.

Once they were done eating, Nagisa disappeared into his tent. A few minutes later, he returned with a large box.

Promptly, Rei started to freak out. "Nagisa, that's supposed to be a surprise! We're supposed to wait until we get to the bay!"

"Aw, c'mon Rei-chan! Haru's had a rough day, don't you think this would help?" he asked, putting a cute pout on his face, causing Rei to stutter.

Haru found that his curiosity was peaked. "What is it?"

Rin, who had been mostly quiet since the slope, suddenly turned toward him and grinned.

"Fireworks."

"Well, fireworks and sparklers," Makoto put in. "You always talked about how nice it was when the stars were reflected in the ocean. We thought you would really like this."

Haru felt his chest constrict, but not from pain. "Thank you," he said, trying not to let tears fall. Dammit, he was crying so _easily_ lately. At least it was too dark for anyone to see. He plastered on a smile. "Let's light 'em up."

Rin and Nagisa cheered while Rei sighed and Makoto laughed. The fireworks were set up quickly, pointing slightly towards the ocean. When they were ready to be lit, Nagisa handed Haru a box of matches.

"This is your show, Haru-chan!" he yelled, stepping back from the line of fire. Makoto was right next to Haru, ready to carry him away after the firework was lit.

Haru grinned, opening the box and pulling out a match. It took a few tries with his shaky hands, but he eventually got it lit and brought it down to the fuse. Quickly he shook the match to put it out and Makoto scooped him up, running a safe distance away before turning back around.

The firework shot into the sky, going a considerable distance before exploding. A blue and green light show filled the sky, reflecting off the water in a dazzling display of color.

Then it was a free-for-all, with the boys setting up more and more fireworks and lighting multiple ones at once, filling the sky with an array of colors and shapes. Between explosions, Nagisa handed out sparklers to Makoto and Haru, who took turns drawing in the air between them.

A sudden yell broke the joyful atmosphere, and everyone turned to see one of the tents quickly catching fire and Rin frantically trying to stomp it out.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he yelled, but it was futile even when everyone else tried to help. The tent burned to ashes in less than a minute. The fire, with little sustenance to fuel it, quickly burned out as well.

"Well, at least most of our supplies are in the other tent, right?" Nagisa tried, but quickly quieted when Rin glared at him.

"I can't fucking believe this," he growled. Haru looked at him and sighed.

"We can all sleep in the same tent. It's not a big deal," he said, wheeling himself towards the remaining tent. "It'll be like when we were kids. Maybe a little more crowded."

Rin looked over to Makoto and raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, to which Makoto just shrugged.

"It's getting pretty cold, so we'll be warmer that way anyway," he said. Rin just ran his fingers through his hair, defeated.

That night they slept curled against and laying on top of each other. Haru was the last to fall asleep, so he just passed the time listening to his friends' slow, relaxed breathing. He listened to Nagisa talk in his sleep and the shuffle of Rei tossing and turning. He watched Rin's face, which was more relaxed than he'd ever seen, and he watched Makoto's nose twitch when he dreamed. He hoped it was a good dream.

When Haru finally did fall asleep, he dreamt of crashing waves and dark skies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments/kudos are greatly appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first story on ao3, so any comments are greatly appreciated! The next chapter will likely be posted within the week.


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